BLS-4 Lab – Photo Credit CDC PHIL
# 6106
The weekend edition of the New York Times contains a `dialog’ – well, actually letters to the editor – received over the past few days by some well known academics and researchers on the volatile subject of H5N1 research.
The recent successes in turning the H5N1 virus into a more transmissible virus have raised alarms among many of those in the bio-security field (see The Furor Over H5N1 Research Continues).
At the same time, many scientists are decrying what they see as heavy-handed attempts to halt, or censor what they see as crucial research.
You’ll find a lot of familiar names weighing into the NYTs dialog today, including Tom Inglesby, Philip Alcabes, and Vincent Racaniello.
Sunday Dialogue: Bird Flu Experiments
The World Health Organization has tentatively scheduled a meeting of experts in Geneva in a couple of weeks with hopes of resolving some of the thornier issues involved.
But as we continue to see by the arguments coming from both sides of this debate - there is a sizable chasm separating them – making a workable compromise coming out of this meeting far from assured.
Stay tuned.
